Did You Know You Can Grow These Healthy Foods Right Inside Your Home?

If you’re like most people, you probably stand in the produce aisle of your grocery store once in awhile and wonder why on earth everything seems to be so expensive! The good news is that you can grow a variety of foods right in the comfort of your own home whether it’s raining, snowing, or the sun is glowing outside! You don’t need to turn your living room into a greenhouse in order to enjoy your own homegrown food.

All You Need to Grow Your Own Produce is….

You will need a two gallon pot for each vegetable (you’ll likely want ten gallon pots for #5 and #6 below) that you want to grow. You’ll also need to fill each pot with your favorite gardening soil. Don’t forget to toss in a little all-purpose eco-friendly fertilizer (unless you’re partial about specialized fertilizers) in for good measure! Plant just one seed in each pot and cover it with a thin layer of soil before spraying each pot with water using a mister. Mist the pots once or twice a day until you see sprouts and then water once daily until you’re ready to harvest. It’s also important to keep the pots near windows so they can get some sun throughout the day.

Here are six foods you can grow right inside your home without the need for much space:

1. Zucchini

Also known as summer squash, zucchini has only a slight flavor that typically doesn’t overpower the dishes it’s added to. It’s extremely rich in nutrients such as Vitamin C and is it’s also loaded with antioxidants that help to fight disease. While all zucchini can be grown indoors, baby or mini zucchini are your best bet. Zucchini is also a great fat-free ingredient to use to replace heavier fats (and even creamy ingredients like dairy) in many of your recipes. Here are 10 more ways to use zucchini for even more ideas.

2. Salad Greens

Greens like kale, romaine, butter leaf, green leaf, and arugula are all packed with Vitamins A and C. And they can all easily be exchanged for Popeye’s favorite food due to their high iron content. Greens start to lose nutrients as soon as they’re pulled from the soil so you can imagine how deficient some greens at the store might be after sitting in storage and on the shelves for days. Skip that problem altogether and make your own at home if you can’t hit the farmer’s market or the produce aisle as soon as greens are delivered.

3. Tomatoes

Thanks to the lycopene found in tomatoes, these bright fruits serve as effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant weapons within the body. They also have the ability to brighten up just about any meal, and they’re naturally low in fat, high in Vitamin B6, and even potassium and Vitamin C. Just one plant will yield up to a dozen (sometimes more!) tomatoesat a time.

4. Baby Sweet Peppers

Sweet peppers (red, orange, and yellow) offer a vibrant way to spruce up the nutrition value of meals made of pasta, casseroles, salads, and even soups. Red bell peppers are also one of the highest sources of Vitamin C you can consume through simple foods (even more so than oranges!). Baby bells in particular are easy to grow and don’t take up a lot of space. Sweet peppers love growing in the kitchen among herbs!

5. Avocados

Avocados might be high in natural fats, but they are full of healthy fats such as vitamin E that our bodies need to stay strong. Look for a dwarf avocado tree at your local nursery as they grow best indoors. You’ll need to continue pruning the shoots throughout the year so it doesn’t grow too big for its space. See all the ways we love to use avocados since they’re incredibly healthy for you and add 1/2 of a fruit each day to your diet to reap the benefits.

6. Mandarin Oranges

Mandarins are loaded with calcium, fiber, and antioxidants which makes them a perfect snack any time of day. They’re also great in salads and blended in smoothies. A dwarf mandarin tree will grow well indoors. Just make sure to let the roots dry out a bit between watering sessions.

Now that you have a list of some fun plants and trees to grow in your home, you’re ready to produce a small forest of food that will help to keep your weekly grocery bills in check and keep you healthy no matter what time of year it is.